Welcome OUR HISTORY Innovation and reinvention stand the test of time. Augusta is established by General James Edward Oglethorpe. 1736 Early 1900s Confederate Powder Works gunpowder manufacturing complex is built along the Augusta Canal, opening the door for many future textile plants and industries. 1861-1865 Augusta becomes known as the "winter golf capital of America" due to its lack of snow. 1845 Augusta Canal is built, channeling the Savannah River to power cotton mills and other factories. The Industrial Revolution arrives in Augusta. Late 1800s Augusta becomes a prized resort city of the South. Guests include President William H. Taft, John D. Rockefeller, Harvey Firestone, and heirs to the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Hey History Buff! 10 Did you know? File away these trivia tidbits. 2020 Augusta Experience Guide You can visit the home of George Walton, one of the youngest signers of the Declaration of Independence, at Meadow Garden. Look closely at the bedroom window in The Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Meadow Garden to see the letters "TOM," etched by the young boy.